sad outcome for this middle schooler (best, business, place)

[majormadmax]

Or, as we in the military often say, "the biggest problem with common sense is that it just isn't common!"

[TheGimp]

I was driving on 410 going east on saturday around 7-8 and noticed a crowd gathering around the access road then I saw a news van arrive. I didnt think much of it til I was reading woai.com. I just cant beleive it. I always drop my 12 year old daughter off at the skating rink on bandera and her and her friends always seem to have a good time. I always arrive 15-30 mintues early to pick them up. I usually go around 9:45/10:00. I just can't believe her mother let her out at 11:30. I have noticed that there are always a few bad kids hanging around the rink afterwards just throwing rocks at each other and running around like crazy. Very unfortunante and heartbreaking.

[GlorifiedMalcontent]

like the common sense to not run across a 410 three lane off ramp in the dead of night?

of course, notwithstanding the fact that they were a gaggle of tweens wandering around without parents near midnight. but man, i really don't know what goes through some of these people's heads when they try to cross some of these roads. the only thing that scares me more on the road than other drives is some idiot jumping out into traffic.


i'm not trying to sound insensitive, i apologize if i am. but reckless pedestrians are dangerous just like reckless drivers. only they don't have several thousand pounds of steel to protect them.

[sakssa]

Wouldn't be surprised if the mother 1)has several more children 2) is on gov't assistance 3) had children before she was even 16. 4) is pregnant.

[Merovee]

Very sad. This could have happened at 7 or 8pm so curfew is not really a huge factor here. What is sadder is how some can be rather callous toward the mother.

[Soviet]

Play dumb games. Win dumb prizes.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Very sad. This could have happened at 7 or 8pm so curfew is not really a huge factor here. What is sadder is how some can be rather callous toward the mother.

She may have been more visible to the driver at 7PM. And yeah, I'm callous towards parents that leave their 12 year olds unattended at 11:30 PM. Color me a mean old battleaxe. Don't have kids if you're not ready to put them first. Every day.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by sakssa

Wouldn't be surprised if the mother 1)has several more children 2) is on gov't assistance 3) had children before she was even 16. 4) is pregnant.

She had 5 kids. This was her only daughter that she "loved so much" that she allowed her to be out practically in the middle of the night, making stupid choices that cost her her life.

Look for a BBQ plate sale soon.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by TheGimp

I was driving on 410 going east on saturday around 7-8 and noticed a crowd gathering around the access road then I saw a news van arrive. I didnt think much of it til I was reading woai.com. I just cant beleive it. I always drop my 12 year old daughter off at the skating rink on bandera and her and her friends always seem to have a good time. I always arrive 15-30 mintues early to pick them up. I usually go around 9:45/10:00. I just can't believe her mother let her out at 11:30. I have noticed that there are always a few bad kids hanging around the rink afterwards just throwing rocks at each other and running around like crazy. Very unfortunante and heartbreaking.

Gimp

My 13-yr-old son goes to that skating rink on Bandera Road, and we always tell him to sit tight if for any reason we are not there to pick him up after it closes. So far that hasn't happened, as my wife and I make it a point to be early; but he has his cell phone and knows we are on our way.

I sometimes wonder if we are too strict and controlling with our boys, but when I read stories like this I think it is better to be a little overbearing than to let kids that age run loose, especially late at night.

I was just talking about this to my Mom last night, and how things have changed since I was my son's age. Back then (around the Bicentennial), we would be out on our bikes during the evening, but we still had to be home by 9:00 and we never ventured too far out of the neighborhood. Obviously this was back before cell phones and we never thought to call on a pay phone to check in with our parents, and I wonder how they could handle not really knowing what we were out doing.

We got our son a cell phone as soon as we felt he was mature enough to have one, and it does help. Sure, he may be texting his friends all the time on it; but when he's out at least we have a way to get in touch with him.

My heart does go out to this young girl's mother and family, I know they would never want this to happen but in my opinion they did not do enough to prevent it. Why the girls were crossing the access road is beyond me, it makes me wonder if they were going to try and cross 410 next! It's a sad loss all the way around and the most tragic part of it all is that it was all so easily avoidable!

[SilverCreek78250]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

Gimp

I sometimes wonder if we are too strict and controlling with our boys, but when I read stories like this I think it is better to be a little overbearing than to let kids that age run loose, especially late at night.

Amen to that. I look at my two kids - both successful young adults without juvenile records - and thank goodness that my wife and I had the instincts to be strict and controlling when many of their friends/classmates were allowed to wander the streets at all hours.

I certainly don't know the full details of this family and am sorry for their loss, but I do know that my son or daughter would have never been in that situation.